


All Right

by PecanSandy



Category: Political RPF - UK 20th-21st c.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2020-03-30 21:44:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19036174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PecanSandy/pseuds/PecanSandy
Summary: I thought we could all use this. The second scene starts after @wallaby24's chapter, "Home".





	All Right

**Author's Note:**

> I thought we could all use this. The second scene starts after @wallaby24's chapter, "Home".

Theresa closed her folder quickly and turned sharply away from the podium. She squeezed her eyes shut, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other at a pace that wasn’t too fast, but got her to the door as quickly as possible. _Dammit_ , she thought to herself as she took another step and the number 10 door opened for her. She’d been worried she might get emotional since she made her decision to resign, and now she’d done it despite her very best efforts. Now the whole country had seen her lose it. She took a deep breath in through her nose and blew it out of her mouth in an attempt to fight the sobs that were making their way up into her throat. She knew there would be a crowd waiting for her inside, so she took one last deep breath before stepping across the threshold.

The door closed behind her and the room filled with the sound of applause that she didn’t feel she deserved. It made her want to cry again, but she willed herself to hold it back for just a few more moments. She took a few more ragged breaths to stop the tears and hoped everyone would be too involved in their clapping to notice.

She scanned the room for the only person she really wanted to see, but there was no sign of him. _He must be on his way_ , she thought. She’d taken a brief glance over to where he was standing during her speech, but she couldn’t look at him for too long and risk losing control of her emotions… not that it would have made much of a difference…

She passed her folder off to an aide and fiddled with the fabric of her sleeve as she waited for the clapping to die down. It was touching to receive the support of the people she’d been working with for almost three years now. They deserved a few words from her, so she did her best to compose herself.

“Thank you,” she said, holding her hands up in the air to let them know she wanted to speak. Her voice was back to normal, thankfully. She hoped it would last. “I want to thank each and every one of you for all of the hard work you’ve done over the past few years.” She started going through the thank you’s she’d prepared for everyone, grateful that she had her emotions in check again. She scanned the room again, this time seeing Gavin pop around the corner, followed by a slightly out of breath Philip. He must have rushed to get to her.

She felt a lump in her throat again as he carefully weaved through the crowd to stand closer to her. He stood off to her side with his hands folded in front of him. She could see he was itching to touch her, to provide some type of comfort, but he knew that would only make her more emotional. She glanced over at him briefly and gave him a thin smile, before soldiering through the rest of her speech.

Her nerves crept back in as she got closer to the end of what she’d prepared. She had to thank Philip, something she knew she couldn’t do in front of the cameras. Just thinking about him made her weepy. The truth was there was nothing she could say to properly thank him for all he’d done over the last three years and their whole life together, but he deserved something.

“And last, but certainly not least,” she said, her voice cracking on the last few words. She held a hand out for Philip, and he practically jumped to her side, wrapping an arm tightly around her. She slid her hand around his waist and looked up into the blue eyes she’d found comfort in for almost 40 years.

“I’ve called him my rock… and so has every paper in the country,” she quipped, trying to relieve some of the tension. She tugged on his jacket, and he tightened his hold on her. “But that doesn’t even begin to… to,” she paused for a breath, and felt him squeeze her arm gently. “To describe how essential Philip has been, how supportive.” She wanted to go on. She should’ve gone on. He deserved more, but she knew he understood why she couldn’t. He understood everything.

“So thank you,” she said, her voice cracking and her lip trembling as she looked up at Philip with her eyes full of tears. “And thank all of you again.” She gestured out at everyone, feeling her control over her emotions slip away with each passing moment. The applause started again, and she felt Philip’s hand guiding her to walk towards the stairs. She nodded at her aids and staff as she passed by, but she knew she was seconds away from coming unglued. All of the stress and heartbreak and the lack of sleep was finally welling up, and she felt her eyes stinging as she got to the bottom step.

“You’re nearly there, love,” he whispered, gently leading her up the stairs to the flat. Tears were clouding her vision now, and she took a jagged breath in an attempt to steady herself. She worried she might miss a step when… “Take my hand,” he whispered reaching across to take her hand with his other arm securely around her waist. She squeezed his hand tightly. Of course she wouldn’t falter with Philip by her side.

Finally at the top of the stairs, she reached out for the doorknob and fumbled with it slightly before pushing the door open. 

In a flash, his arms were around her, wrapping her up in a tight hug. The door was closed, and the cameras were gone, so she let go of everything she’d been holding in. She buried her face in his shoulder and sobbed. “I’m so proud of you, darling. I’m so proud,” he whispered, kissing the side of her head.

“I c-cried,” she said between sobs. “I t-tried so hard n-not to cry,” she said, barely above a whisper.

“Oh, darling, it was all right. You had it until the very end when you talked about how much you love your country. Nobody can fault you for that.”

He was right, of course. It was the love she had for her country that made all of this so hard. And her love for him that made expressing it so impossible. She clung to him and cried, knowing he would stand there as long as she needed.

“And I wanted to say more about you,” she choked out. “You deserve…”

“Theresa, don’t worry about that. All I want is for you to be okay.”

She pulled back to look at him. “And that,” she said poking his chest gently, “is why you deserve a thousand speeches.”

He chuckled softly and leaned in to kiss her forehead. “Let’s go home,” he whispered, reaching up to wipe the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs.

“I need to do something about this,” she said, pointing at her face. “There’ll be photographers around the back.”

“Can I get you anything before we go?” he asked, putting his hands on her shoulders.

“Maybe a glass of water?” she said, mindlessly straightening his tie.

“Done,” he whispered, leaning in to kiss her. He gave her look, one she’d become familiar with over the years. He was making sure she was ready to stand on her own. She gave him a sad smile, the only one she could muster, and it was enough to let him know she’d be all right.

She walked quickly to the bathroom to tidy herself up for the short walk to the car. Looking into the mirror, she noted how puffy and red her eyes had gotten. She sighed, wishing nobody had seen her like this, but knowing there was nothing she could do about it now. She washed her face, reapplied enough eye makeup to get by, and went back to the kitchen where Philip was waiting for her.

“Water’s on the counter. How do you feel?”

“I think I should check my blood sugar before we go. I feel a bit weak,” she said, leaning back against the counter.

“You’re probably low from the adrenaline,” he said, pulling her reader out of his coat pocket. She nearly lost it again upon the realization that he’d probably anticipated this and grabbed it before the speech. He held it up to the back of her arm carefully until it signaled that it had a reading. “Bit low. You should have a snack on the ride home,” he said, tucking the reader into his pocket. “What’s speaking to you?”

“Do we have some fruit?”

“Oranges and bananas,” he said scanning the kitchen counter.

“An orange might get messy, so let’s take a banana.”

“Banana it is,” he said with a smile, tucking one into her purse. “Are you all ready to go?”

“I think so. Do I look too puffy?” She pointed to her eyes, and he smiled.

“You look beautiful,” he said, reaching up to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear.

“That seems like a stretch, but I’m in no position to argue.” He chuckled and kissed her forehead.

She grabbed her bag and they went back down to the back where their car was waiting. Along the way, Philip reached out to touch her back or her arm, to let her know he was right there. They both crawled into the back seat of the Jaguar before the doors closed and they were off.

“Are you still feeling weak?”

She lifted her hands out of her lap and noted that they were shaking slightly.

“I’ll take that as a yes. I can peel this for you,” he said, pulling the banana out of her bag. She peeked out of the window to make sure they were out of range of any cameras.

“Thank you,” she said, taking it from him and settling into her seat.

“Of course,” he said, reaching for her free hand and lacing his fingers with hers.

They rode in a comfortable silence. She knew he didn’t want to fuss, but she could tell he was on high alert. He studied her every few moments to make sure everything was all right, and she squeezed his hand to let him know it was… relatively anyway. They both knew she might not truly be all right for a while, but for now, holding his hand in the back seat was all she needed.

_________________________________

She felt herself drift slowly back into consciousness. There was warmth all around her, and when she opened her eyes, she could see the sun coming through the blinds.

She was tangled up in her husband, which was exactly where she wanted to be. He was still sleeping, all of the features on his face totally relaxed. Sleep was the only time either of them got to relax these days. He looked adorable, what little hair he had left sticking up in all directions from the top of his head. She reached up to smooth it back down, and he stirred.

“Sorry,” she whispered, letting her hand drift to stroke the hair on the side of his head. His eyes opened just a little, and immediately slammed shut.

“Five more minutes,” he whispered, pulling her closer to his chest. “Were you watching me sleep?” he asked, his voice still a little raspy from sleep.

“Only for a minute,” she said, nuzzling into his neck.

“Creep,” he said, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

“I think I want to go to Waitrose,” she said, matter-of-factly.

“You want to go where?” He sounded much more alert now.

“Waitrose. I thought of a few things we need, and we have time. We don’t have any washing up liquid.”

“Are you sure? I think that can wait if you’d rather not.”

“It might be nice to do something normal,” she said, feeling her throat tighten.

“Of course,” he said with a calming voice, rubbing her back softly.

She kissed his neck and wrapped her arms tighter around his torso.

“If you keep cuddling up to me we aren’t going to make it to Waitrose,” he said, still sounding groggy.

“I see your point,” she said, giving him another kiss and rolling out of bed.

————————————————————–

Theresa poured the last drop of red wine from the bottle into her glass and swirled it.

“It’s been a while since we finished an entire bottle in one go,” he said, resting a hand on her legs that were draped across his lap.

“Yes, well the occasion called for it,” she said, sipping at the red liquid and feeling the pleasant burn.

“In that case, are you going to want to open another,” he asked, laughing softly.

“The tips of your ears are already red, so that seems like a dangerous idea,” she said, reaching out to run her finger along the shell of his ear.

“You know me well,” he said, tipping up his glass to finish it off. He placed it on the side table and rested his newly freed hand on the back of the couch. “How are you feeling?”

“Still sad,” she said, feeling the familiar lump form in her throat, “But much better thanks to you.” He gave her a half smile, running his thumb back and forth across the top of her leg.

“Anything you want to talk about?” he asked, looking at her earnestly.

She took a moment and finished off what was left of her wine. “I don’t think so. I just…Think I’ll need time. Maybe we can talk more when I’m not so weepy,” she said with a smile that didn’t match the tears collecting in her eyes.

He reached for her waist and pulled her closer so she was practically on his lap, wrapping her in the closest thing to a hug they could manage from this position. “Are you sure about the other bottle of wine,” he whispered, running his fingers lightly up and down her arm.

She looked over at him and saw the smile she was expecting, the same one she’d fallen in love with all those years ago. He had a few more lines in his face and a little less hair, but it was the same smile that had cheered her through all of the hard times life handed to them. His playful grin faded into a more intense look as she studied him.

“Are you all right, darling,” he whispered, placing a hand on her cheek. She couldn’t manage to speak. She couldn’t think of any words to tell him how she felt, so she nodded before leaning in to kiss him. He seemed a bit taken aback at first, but soon they fell into a familiar rhythm. He was so gentle, letting her set the pace. She could tell he was doing his best to show restraint, keeping his hands on her face even though she could feel his heart racing.

But she was growing impatient with the current pace, so she slid her legs off of his lap and crawled back over to straddle him. Folding and tucking her legs on either side of him, she took his hands and placed them on her hips before leaning down to kiss him again. He squeezed her hips, and she felt a tug in the pit of her stomach. “Theresa,” he breathed out into her neck before placing a trail of kisses down to her collar bone. Her hands fumbled for the top button of his shirt when…

“Sweetheart,” he said, reaching up to still her hands. He laid his head back on the couch and closed his eyes in an attempt to catch his breath.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, her own breathing heavy.

“Nothing!” he rasped, squeezing her hands and leaning his head down to kiss them. “Nothing is wrong. I just…”

“Did you… not want…to,” she stammered out, feeling a bit deflated.

“No! That’s not it at all,” he said, shaking his head. “I just don’t want you to… feel like you have to.” He pulled her closer and stretched up to kiss her. “I know you’re tired and,” he trailed off, looking up at her. “I just wanted to make sure.” He let his hands rest lightly on her hips again.

She placed her open hands on his chest to keep her balance, and she could feel that his heart was still racing. She felt the threat of tears coming again at the realization that he was, as always, only worried about her. She was sure before he stopped her, and even more sure now.

“I’m sure,” she said, leaning down to kiss him. “Very sure.”

He searched her eyes for another moment and nodded. His arms wrapped tightly around her waist to lift her slightly. Her legs wrapped tightly around him, and he laid her back down as carefully as he could on her back. In a dance that they’d perfected over nearly four decades, he stretched out across her, careful to keep from resting his weight on her, and leaned down to kiss her.

“I love you,” he whispered, as his lips ghosted past her ear. He’d always done this, even when things were a great deal more rushed between them. He’d always told her over and over that he loved her. He didn’t need to. If there was anything she was certain of, it was that he loved her. But it was his way of letting her know that he cherished her and the intimacy they shared together.

“I love you, too.”

——————————————————–

Philip rolled over and lazily stretched his arm across the bed in search of his wife. He felt nothing but cold sheets where she had been, and a feeling of panic shot through him. He sat up, looking around their room for a sign of her, but she wasn’t there and hadn’t been for some time. He scolded himself for not waking with her. He’d been so tired, but so was she.

He jumped out of bed, found his glasses, and padded across their room to the door. Just then, he smelled… something delightful coming from the kitchen? He quietly descended the stairs and rounded the corner. He could hear the sounds of her rummaging around in the cabinets.

“Where is that cutting board?” he heard her whisper to herself before she began humming a tune he couldn’t recognize. He leaned quietly against the wall and watched her work. She looked lovely, gracefully chopping fruit and singing in her pajamas, away from the stress she was usually immersed in. He wanted to wrap his arms around her, but he loved watching her be so relaxed and care-free. Then, almost as if she’d sensed his presence, she turned to face him and locked eyes.

“How long have you been there?” she asked, her cheeks turning pink.

“Long enough,” he said, pushing off of the wall and walking toward her.

“You shouldn’t sneak up on someone who’s holding a knife,” she teased, placing the knife on the cutting board and turning back to face him. He put his hands on her waist and tugged her into his embrace. “How did you sleep?” she asked, leaning in to kiss him.

“Very well. Too well. I wish you would’ve woken me.”

“You looked so peaceful. I couldn’t wake you,” she said, reaching up to drape her arms around his neck. “Besides, I thought you’d earned a bit of a lie in and a nice breakfast,” she said, with a suggestive tone.

“Is that so?” A smile spread across his face.

“Yes, well I certainly worked up an appetite,” she said, raising an eyebrow and patting his chest.

“Cheeky.” He smiled and kissed her again, this time pushing her back lightly against the counter.

“The frittata is going to burn,” she whispered between kisses. He weighed the benefits and decided it was probably best for them to eat. He gave her one last kiss on the forehead before letting her get back to work.

“Can I help with anything?” he asked, leaning back against the counter to watch her. He knew she would say no, but he always asked.

“I’m almost finished with this, and the frittata only has a couple minutes.” She looked so relaxed and rested, and it made his chest tighten to think of how much she’d improved over the past 24 hours. He’d known how important it was to get her home where she could be away from it all. He was so proud of her, how strong she’d been, how well she’d done. And now it was almost as if they’d entered an alternate universe where she didn’t have the weight of the world on her shoulders anymore.

“What do you want to do today?” she asked, pulling him out of his own thoughts.

“I don’t know. What do _you want to do_?” he said, and she rolled her eyes at him.

“I don’t know. I wouldn’t mind staying at home… with you…” she said, her voice cracking slightly at the last word. _Not totally away from it all_ , he thought, stepping to her side. He wrapped his arm around her waist again and pulled her into his side, kissing her on the side of her head and holding her close.

“I think that’s a wonderful idea,” he whispered into her hair. “Maybe we can even have a reprise of last night,” he said, in hopes of making her laugh. He treasured every single one now that she was under so much stress.

“I’d like that,” she said, with a cheeky smile, leaning in to kiss his neck.

“And thank you,” she went on, reaching for his hand, “for always being by my side when I need you there.” She was tearing up again, but this time it didn’t cause him to panic, mostly because he could feel his own eyes stinging. She wasn’t upset. She wasn’t heartbroken. It was quite the opposite. Her heart was full, and so was his.

“It’s been the honor of my life to be by your side, Theresa,” he said, mirroring the words of her speech. He pulled her into another hug and ran his hands up and down her back, just as he’d done for years. It had been in those moments in each other’s arms when he always knew they’d be all right. And this would be no different.


End file.
